The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to shock assemblies that are constructed to facilitate controlled movement between movable members of a bicycle, such as a frame and a wheel assembly.
The primary structural component of a conventional two-wheel bicycle is the frame. On a conventional road bicycle, the frame is typically constructed from a set of tubular members assembled together to form the frame. For many bicycles, the frame is constructed from members commonly referred to as the top tube, down tube, seat tube, seat stays and chain stays, and those members are joined together at intersections commonly referred to as the head tube, seat post, bottom bracket and rear dropout. The top tube usually extends from the head tube rearward to the seat tube. The head tube, sometimes referred to as the neck, is a short tubular structural member at the upper forward portion of the bicycle which supports the handlebar and front steering fork, which has the front wheel on it. The down tube usually extends downwardly and rearward from the head tube to the bottom bracket, the bottom bracket usually comprising a cylindrical member for supporting the pedals and chain drive mechanism which powers the bicycle. The seat tube usually extends from the bottom bracket upwardly to where it is joined to the rear end of the top tube. The seat tube also usually functions to telescopically receive a seat post for supporting a seat or saddle for the bicycle rider to sit on.
The chain stays normally extend rearward from the bottom bracket. The seat stays normally extend downwardly and rearward from the top of the seat tube. The chain stays and seat stays are normally joined together with a rear dropout for supporting the rear axle of the rear wheel. The front wheel assembly is commonly mounted between a pair of forks that are pivotably connected to the frame proximate the head tube. The foregoing description represents the construction of a conventional bicycle frame which of course does not possess a suspension having any shock absorbing characteristics.
The increased popularity in recent years of off-road cycling, particularly on mountains and cross-country, as well as an interest in reducing discomfort associated with rougher road riding, has made shock absorbing systems a desirable attribute in biking system. A bicycle with a properly designed suspension system is capable of traveling over extremely bumpy, uneven terrain and up or down very steep inclines. Suspension bicycles are less punishing, reduce fatigue, reduce the likelihood of rider injury, and are much more comfortable to ride. For off-road cycling in particular, a suspension system greatly increases the rider's ability to control the bicycle because the wheels remain in contact with the ground as they ride over rocks and bumps in the terrain instead of being bounced into the air as occurs on conventional non-suspension bicycles. Over the last several years the number of bicycles now equipped with suspension systems has dramatically increased. In fact, many bicycles are now fully suspended, meaning that the bicycle has both a front and rear wheel suspension systems. Front suspensions were the first to become popular. Designed to remove the pounding to the bicycle front end, the front suspension is simpler to implement than a rear suspension. A front suspension fork is easy to retrofit onto an older model bicycle. On the other hand, a rear suspension will increase traction and assist in cornering and balance the ride.
During cycling, as the bicycle moves along a desired path, discontinuities of the terrain are communicated to the assembly of the bicycle and ultimately to the rider. Although such discontinuities are generally negligible for cyclists operating on paved surfaces, riders venturing from the beaten path frequently encounter such terrain. With the proliferation of mountain biking, many riders seek the more treacherous trail. Technology has developed to assist such adventurous riders in conquering the road less traveled. Wheel suspension systems are one such feature.
Even though suspension features have proliferated in bicycle constructions, the performance of the suspension as well as the structure of the bicycle are often limited to or must be tailored to cooperate with the structure and operation of the shock. Commonly, both ends of the shock are secured to the bicycle between movable frame members where movement is intended to be arrested, dampened, or otherwise altered. The shock is often connected between a portion of the frame and structure proximate an axle of an associated wheel to provide a desired travel distance and/or resistance to the relative displacement of the structures secured to the generally opposite ends of the shock. The incorporation of the shock member in such a manner generally determines the motion performance of the shock adapted structure.
Commonly, an eyelet is positioned at each end of the shock and cooperates with a pass through fastener that secures the respective ends of the shock to the desired structure of the bicycle. Other shock systems utilize a clamp that engages along an outside diameter of the damper body. This association of the structure of the bicycle and the structure of the shock generally defines the shock that can be used with any given bicycle as well as the shock performance that can be provided. To alter the shock performance of a particular bicycle commonly requires changing the shock provided the newly desired shock has a mount configuration and translation distance that correlates to the structure of the bicycle. Such a requirement increases the cost associated with performance of suspension features of any bicycle.
The rider must commonly acquire either various shocks assemblies or various parts of a shock assembly to alter the performance of suspension features of a particular bicycle. Further, if a rider has multiple bicycles, as many competitive riders do, acquiring the components to alter the performance of the suspension of a number of bicycles can be particularly expensive. With respect to shock manufacturing, as the structure of bicycle suspension features changes, shocks must be restructured to cooperate with the new bicycle structure. Shock design, construction, and assembly can become particularly costly in those instances where a variety of different shocks having different shock performance characteristics must be provided for one particular bicycle to satisfy individual rider preferences. Satisfying individual rider preferences across the various product platforms of various bicycle manufactures requires providing uncountable specific shock constructions.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock system that can be configured to cooperate with a variety of bicycle structures. There is a further need for a shock system that can provide a variety of shock performances without otherwise interfering with the mounting of the shock to the bicycle. There is a further need for a shock system that can be quickly and efficiently configured to cooperate with a bicycle.